• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.196-204
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of a traditional herbal complex (HC) extract prepared from a mixture of four oriental herbs (Dioscorea Rhizoma, Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc, Bombycis corpus, Fermented Glycine soja) that have been widely used for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus on hyperglycemia. The water extract of HC showed potent inhibitory effect on $\alpha$-glucosidase with $IC_{50}$ value of 1.24 mg/mL. Additionally, the ethanol extract of HC was also found to exhibit significant inhibitory effect against protein tyrosine phosphatase $1{\beta}$ ($PTP1{\beta}$), which is known as a major regulator of both insulin and leptin signaling. In the $PTP1{\beta}$ inhibitory assay, the most active n-hexane fraction obtained from the ethanol extract of HC, was identified as a mixture of fatty acid derivatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In high-fat diet-low dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat, the water extract of HC improved the oral glucose intolerance as compared with rosiglitazone. HC also caused a marked decrease of body weight and fasting blood glucose and a significant improvement on glucose tolerance in metabolic syndrome mice model. These findings support that this traditional HC may be useful in the control of blood glucose in diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2015

Recently, much attention has been paid to the development of a value-added food category containing probiotics so as to improve human health and prevent diseases. Among various foods, the health benefits of milk and dairy products are known to humanity, and could be attributed to the bioactive components present in milk. In fermented milk products, the health benefits could be due to suitable modulation activities produced by the action of probiotic bacteria. Besides the modification of various milk components, probiotics might also act directly as preventive and therapeutic agents against some severe diseases. Probiotics promote health via their positive effects on the immune response, stimulation of natural immunity, and modulation of the production of antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and so on. Whey proteins, a byproduct of cheese production could also have anticarcinogenic, immunostimulatory, antimicrobial, and health-promoting activities such as improving insulin sensitivity and reducing fat deposition. Therefore, milk and dairy products containing probiotics could provide various opportunities in the field of functional foods. Additionally, these functional foods may be important in the human diet and may help improve human health and prevent diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.737-744
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• 2013

The present study was investigated to evaluate on the health improving effect of Kochujang (Fermented Korean hot pepper paste), which was famous as Korean traditional healthy food among foreigners as it was served together with Bibimbap. For comparison, observation was made on the experimental animals (Sprague-Dawley rat) as breeding during 5 weeks, which were divided three groups as into the control groups (N-group) fed with normal feed only and high cholesterol feed only (H-group) and the K-group with combined diet of normal feed and Kochujang extracts (Water soluble complex materials). The most outstanding result was found as the definite fatty liver lesions found from all (100%) of the rats of the H-group at the abdominal opening examination. On the other hand, there was any finding on fatty liver lesions in the N-group as well as the K-group. Therefore, it was more than enough to identify the hypolipidemic effect by visual finding only. Furthermore, from the results of blood plasma analysis from SD-rats fed with Kochujang extract (K-group), more prominent differential findings were found, the value of HDL-cholesterol, which was good for preventing the arteriosclerosis, was more or less higher than that of H-groups. But the level of LDL-cholesterol, which was one of the hazardous agents of hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerosis, was more significantly reduced to the level even lower than that of N-group, based on the statistical analysis, in especial. According to the present results, we could find that the unidentified Korean traditional Kochujang-derived complex components had expressed both the positive health improving effects and hypolipidemic effects on the SD-rat.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.733-739
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• 1966

A 371 agricultural households from 26 different communities in South Korea was subjected on a study of food taboos in January of 1966. To the pregnant women, those to whom a high protein diet is particurally important, as many as 14 different kinds of foods, mostly portein rich foods, were avoided to eat. It is believed that if duck is eaten while pregnant her baby may walk like a duck in later life. Some mother have a strong aversion to the rabbit meat that her unborn baby must be a harelip. It is feared to eat chicken, shark or carp by the pregnant mother for her baby may get a gooseflesh appearance, or fish scale-like skin in later life. It is thought that if mother eats soup made of meat borns, especially chicken bones, a disfigured baby may be born. Some area informed that if mother eats crab meat her future baby will always bubble. To the child-bearing mothers 13 different kinds of foods were avoided to eat. Some believe that if raddish kimchi, soybean curd, squash are eaten while dilivery that mother may get dental decay or to lose all her teeth. Other think that highly spiced raddish kimchi cause delivery difficult. To the lactating mothers 7 different items of foods were not recommended to eat. It is a common belief that eating green vegetables, especially fresh lettuce, are restricted that her baby may stool greenish. It is said that eating ginsen-chicken soup, or ginsen tea during lactating reduces breast milk secretion. To the weaning babies 7 different kinds of foods were prohibited to fee. Eggs are not eaten because mothers think her babies will start to talk very late. Eight different items of foods in cases of gastro-intestinal diseases, 5 items for liver disease, 7 items for high blood pressure as well as for paralysis were respectively restricted. It is said that meats including pork, beef, and chicken are neither desirable for the patients of high blood pressure nor those of paralysis. To the measles children 10 varieties of foods were restricted. Especially soybean products and meats were not encouraged to use for avoiding asecond attack of measles. For the common cold 8 different kinds of foods were aversed and men think that eating of soup of undria delays a recovery. For the tuberculosis 4 kinds of foods were prohibited to eat. It is said that wine, red pepper and ginsen will stimulate lung bleeding. Many mothers had a strong aversion to fermented shrimp and fish in case of style. and 5 different items of foods were restricted. In case of menstration not so many foods were restricted as other cases, but meat soup is not eaten in this condition in some areas. Majority of food taboos in Korean villages are neither based on tribal nor religious factors. But no one knows how, since what ages, from where, these food taboos have been transmitted and spread over the country. This survey found a great variety of food taboos, aversions, traditional beliefs and prohibitions latent unknown reseasons, or non-scientific conceptions, or completely different ideas from the modern medical aspect, or somewhat fallacious and superstitious beliefs. For the vascular disease contrasting approach were found between modern the oritical therapy and popular remedy among the rural populations who largely depend on the eastern medication. Further scientific study on either side should be done to lead the patient proper way. Many restricted foods such as rabbit, duck, chicken and fish are best resources of protein rich foods which are available in the village. Emphasis should be laid upon breaking down fallacious and supersititious food taboos through the extended nutrition education activities in order to improve food habit and good eating pattern for healthier and stronger generations of Korea.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.135-145
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• 2009

This study was performed to investigate added sugar intakes from processed food-snacks and participation behaviors of special event days sharing sweet foods among adolescents in Korea. Questionnaire survey (n = 959), dietary survey (n = 71) by food record method for 3 days, and snack survey (n = 230) for 3 days were carried out, and subjects were overlapped among three surveys. As a result, middle school students (MS) preferred milks and fermented milks while high school students (HS) preferred breads and fast foods as a snack (p < 0.01). MS and HS took snacks three to six times a week, and HS took snacks more frequently than MS (p < 0.05). Most subjects participated in special event days sharing sweet foods such as friend's birthday (68.4%), Peppro's day (61.5%) and Valentine's day (42.6%). As for merits of these events, MS said ‘they could get along with their friends' and ‘relieve stress', while HS said ‘they could enjoy their own events' and ‘confess their affection to whom they like' (p < 0.01). A group of cookies, biscuits, breads and, cakes was major source of added sugars followed by beverages, sweet jellies of red bean, chocolates and candies for subjects. For MS and HS, daily total added sugar intakes from whole processed food-snacks were $30.5{\pm}23.5g/d$ (3.0-137.9 g/d) and $31.7{\pm}23.2g/d$ (1.2-126.1 g/d), and ratios of daily total energy taken from added sugars of whole processed food-snacks in proportion to daily total energy taken from diet (energy percent of added sugars from snacks) were $6.3{\pm}4.7%$ (0.6-26.1%) and $6.3{\pm}4.4%$ (0.3-23.9%), respectively. These results showed that subjects frequently participated in special event days sharing sweet foods. In addition, energy percent of added sugars from snacks was more than the UL suggested by WHO/FAO for some subjects. Therefore, it is highly critical to monitor adolescents' sugar intakes on a long-term basis and to take nutritional management on their high sugar intakes.